Teufelsberg, or Devil's Mountain, was made from the ruins of Berlin. Literally. It is one of several mounds in Europe created after World War II from the rubble of destruction. What makes Devil's Mountain unique is that its site was chosen because of what's buried beneath it: Wehrtechnishe Fakultat, a Nazi military college that was never completed. At the end of the war, the Allies attempted to blow it up, but they found that the structure was so well built that it was easier to just bury it. By the time they closed the area to debris disposal in 1972, it was the highest point in West Berlin: 394 feet.
During the 60s, the NSA built one of its largest listening stations atop "The Hill," as it came to be known by the Americans who worked there.
There are rumors that Americans excavated shafts down into the ruins under the mound, but that has never been confirmed. The listening station was decommissioned in the 90s when the Berlin Wall fell. Although the equipment has been removed, the buildings and radar domes remain. Even though it's been fenced off and is actually guarded, the structures have been heavily vandalized.
The following photos are by Liam Davies and used under the linked license.
Also going back to World War II, your bonus photos today are from Torpedowaffenplatz Hexengrund, Nazi torpedo testing station they built in Puck Bay in Poland after they occupied it. Although the Russians briefly occupied the base at the close of the war, the facility has been abandoned since 1945.
And one more! The abandoned Toronto Power Company Generating Station.
The following photos are courtesy of Opacity.
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It would be interesting to see a professional crew tunnel down into the Military College to see what it looks like. I have to wonder how someone got that graffiti onto that dome!
ReplyDeleteI like the graffiti on the radar buildings - it's colorful in such a gray place. If they were testing torpedoes, I wonder how many got loose or sank and how much live munitions are in the waters surrounding it. The power station looks almost like a palace or seat of government. Great pics, Leon! :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, the graffiti is actually quite good.
ReplyDeleteThe generating station looks very creepy. Be a good place to film a horror movie.
I'm betting that's where all the Nazi gold is buried! No one ever looked!
ReplyDeleteProbably.
I guess the NSA didn't need that since now they can just listen to all our cell phone conversations. Progress!
ReplyDeleteI love the 4th picture of the generator at the Toronto Power Company. Looks like a piece of artwork.
ReplyDeleteWow, easier to bury it, than blow it up. That's really saying something about the structure. I think the graffiti takes away from the heart of it. I wish they would have left it alone.
ReplyDeleteThose are great pictures! The building is quite unique. I agree with Alex the graffiti is kind of cool.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a work of art! I'd love to visit and photograph Devil's Mountain. And the torpedo testing station could be a great setting for a thriller:)
ReplyDeleteDidn't know about the power station. Not that I visit Toronto much. The roads are too damned busy for a start.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to dig up the building and see what was there, not gold I don't think.
So the Nazi school was so well-built they couldn't blow it up? That's hardcore. :)
ReplyDeleteOooh, I particularly like the pictures of the Toronto Power Company Generating Station.
ReplyDeleteI like the shot of the Monsta graffiti on the Teufelsberg. It's so colorful compared to the muted atmosphere.
Where did you find all these amazing pictures? Seriously, these are some epic places.
ReplyDeleteTrue Heroes from A to Z
Men love to build and abandon, don't they? The graffiti makes it uglier.
ReplyDeleteHadn't heard about that one before. And you have to imagine there were many tunnels under the Berlin wall.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting place and story about it. It looks like the Disney Epcot. :)
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ReplyDeleteOh how fab to have found your blog and theme, I love abandoned places! Bookmarking you to come back to.
ReplyDeleteMars
Curling Stones for Lego People
Anne: I often wonder that about bridges and overpasses. The guys that do that must have some creative ways to get to hard to reach spots.
ReplyDeleteLexa: The Bay of Puck is a pretty busy place from what I could see and heavy with tourism, so I have to think they must have cleaned that area pretty well.
Alex C: Yeah, especially if used in some non-power station way.
Rusty: Well... I bet someone looked.
Pat: That along with all of the satellites.
Donna: It is a cool picture.
Elsie: Well, you know, people.
kmckendry: It is a unique building. I suppose there aren't a lot of listening posts like that left anywhere, used or not.
Jennifer: I wonder what modern torpedo testing stations look like. Or if they even exist.
Jo: Yeah, I'd really like to know what that building looked like.
David: Well, the Germans are pretty hardcore with their engineering.
Loni: There are some neat shots in the generating station.
Crystal: Oh, I can't tell you that. It's top secret. (And there are links there in the posts for some of them.)
Susan: Well, people certainly like to go on to the new, next thing.
L.G.: Yeah, I wonder about that.
G_G: It does, kind of.
Mars: I'm glad you like it!
ReplyDeleteThat's seriously intense looking. I would love to go and explore.
ReplyDeleteFound your blog via Alex. So excited - I LOVE abandoned places and photos of them. I'll be spending lots of time this weekend perusing your posts! :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat eerie looking pictures! Kinda spooky...
ReplyDeleteS.L.: I would love to explore at least 90% of this stuff that I've been covering.
ReplyDeleteLi: Well, I'm glad you did!
Michael: I know. Can you imagine being in the power plant at night?
It reminds me of Epcot Center!
ReplyDeleteIf it's just going to be abandoned, people might as well tag it. Art knows no bounds!
ReplyDeleteStephanie: You're not the only one.
ReplyDeleteJeanne: Or boundaries.
Intetesting post :)
ReplyDeleteOk this one just looks creepy--another movie set, yes, but a creepy movie set!!
ReplyDeleteRajiv: thanks :)
ReplyDeleterandi: The abandoned listening post reminds me of a skeleton clothed in rags.
The Nazi College is very weird as is the listening station. If the underground college was so well built they should have used it for something.
ReplyDeleteLee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
Lee: I don't think they wanted to do that. That's not how you put the Nazis into your past, I don't think.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures were truly stunning. They made those abandoned places look like cool places to go... also, crazy wide open space in the first place. Looks like there's almost nothing around it at all.
ReplyDeleteAlex H: I think there is mostly nothing around it. NSA and all that.
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating how the outside of the Toronto Power Plant is gorgeous. Too bad corporations don't take as much pride in the outsides of their industrial facilities these days...
ReplyDeleteRebekah: Yeah, it was a nice building.
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